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City Council votes to approve increases to service fees. Here's what is increasing:

The San Angelo City Council voted on first reading to increase service fees Tuesday, May 8, 2019.(Photo: Getty Images)

SAN ANGELO — City Council voted 6-0 to increase fees for certain services so that they will cover 100 percent of the service in three years. Council member Lucy Gonzales was absent from the Tuesday, May 7, meeting.

Anthony Wilson, public information officer for the City of San Angelo, said this is done so the tax dollars of residents who don't use these services aren't being used.

Some of the fees aren't that far off from their cost of service as they are now, but City finance director Tina Dierschke said she didn't want to increase everything to its total cost of service so as not to create a "sticker shock" for the people who pay these fees.

Fees for permit and inspections had already been discussed with the Home Builders Association, which is one of the biggest stakeholders. They had come to an agreement to move to 75% of the cost of service in three years. Staff will take it back to Council in Year 4 to discuss moving towards 100%.

Two services were also added — a volleyball league and a parking lot permit. The volleyball league was added because the Recreation Department offers other sports, but not volleyball. A parking lot permit was added because, as it stands, if someone were to build a parking lot not adjacent to his or her building, he or she couldn't get it inspected or get a permit for it.

Proposed new fees

Fee: $360 for a new team and jerseys. This fee covers the cost of service.

Cost of service: $357.58

PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS

Parking lot permit

Fee: $150

Cost of service: $563.28

Proposed fee changes

AIRPORT

General aviation and federal enforcement badge:

Fee: Increasing from $45 to $60

Cost of service: $84.73

Security Identification Display Area badge:

Fee: Increasing from $60 to 75

Cost of service: $135.76

NATURE CENTER

Individual membership:

Fee: Increasing from $15 to $25

Cost of service: $37.49

Family membership:

Fee: Increasing from $25 to $50

Cost of service: $54.98

Birthday parties:

Fee: Increasing from $65 to 80.

Cost of service: $76.19

The increase will cover the cost of service.

RECREATION

Adaptive (special needs) league

Fee: The current fee will increase from $20 to $30 so to keep the fee consistent with other adaptive sports leagues. This is the one fee that will not change over time so that parents with special needs don't have to pay more money.

Cost of service: $128.70.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Advance life support type 1 emergency:

Fee: $979 will increase to $1,216 in 2019, $1,368 in 2020 and $1,520 in 2021.

Cost of service: $1,520

Advance life support type 2 emergency:

Fee: $1,416 will increase to $1,760 in 2019, $1,980 in 2020 and $2,200 in 2021.

Cost of service: $2,200

Basic life support emergency:

Fee: $824 will increase to $1,024 in 2019, $1,152 in 2020 and $1,280 in 2021.

Cost of service: $1,280

Basic life support non-emergency:

Fee: $630 will increase to $640 in 2019, $720 in 2020 and $800 in 2021.

Cost of service: $800

Council voted in 2018 to bring this fee up to 70 percent of its cost of service and asked staff to bring it back in 2019. This year, they voted to increase the fee by 10% every year until it reaches its cost of service in 2021.

Mileage fee:

Fee: Increasing from $12 to a $14 flat fee. This will cover the total cost of service.

Cost of service: $13.75

CIVIC EVENTS

Facility use fee:

Fee: The current fee for tickets is $.50-$1.50. Fees for tickets over $5 will increase to $2, and fees for tickets $5 or under will be $.50.

Cost of service: $4.78

This service is not covered by property tax or sales tax. Other revenues for this service is funded by Hotel Occupancy tax revenue and venue revenue.

PLANNING

Administratively eligible amendment fees:

Fee: The current fee will decrease from $195 to $130. Dierschke said the current fee more than covered the cost of service and was too high because the planning director often doesn't require as much staff time as what is being compensated for jobs like approving certain changes.

Cost of service: $129.83

Administratively eligible design & historic review fees:

Fee: The current fee will decrease from $195 to $90 for the same reasons as the administratively eligible amendment fees.

Cost of service: $89.90.

Sign fees:

Fee: The current fee will decrease from $37.50 to a flat $22. Currently, the City offers signs built with heavy metal, which people can use and return to get a refund. However, Dierschke said they were having trouble getting signs back. Therefore, they changed the type of sign and set a flat fee so they didn't have to worry about getting the signs back or giving refunds.

Cost of service: $21.84

PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS

Demolition of accessory structure:

Fee: The fee will increase from $15 to $30.

Cost of service: $89.79

Commercial demolition:

Fee: The fee will increase from $100 to $114.

Cost of service: $205.71

Residential demolition:

Fee: The fee will increase from $50 to $56.

Cost of service: $106.90

Change of occupancy - minor alterations:

Fee: The fee will increase from $125 to $172.

Cost of service: $353.76

Change of occupancy - no alterations:

Fee: The fee will increase from $75 to $107.

Cost of service: $182.64

Change of occupancy - multiple inspections:

Fee: The fee will increase from $325 to $495.

Cost of service: $1,125.05

Change of occupancy - temporary (commercial):

Fee: The fee will increase from $75 to $100.

Cost of service: $147.52

Commercial and residential approach:

Fee: The commercial fee will increase from $45 to $55 and the residential fee will increase from $25 to $30.

Cost of service: The cost for commercial is $116.95 and the cost for residential is $58.13.

Residential foundation:

Fee: The fee will increase from $50 to $56.

Cost of service: $106.90

Accessory building foundation:

Fee: The fee will increase from $25 to $40.

Cost of service: $106.90

Residential in-ground swimming pool:

Fee: The fee will increase from $35 to $42.

Cost of service: $89.79

Residential above-ground swimming pool:

Fee: The fee will increase from $25 to $35.

Cost of service: $89.79

Electrical permit:

Fee: The base fee will increase from $35 to $42, plus work to be performed.

Cost of service: $85.72

Plumbing permit:

Fee: The fee will increase from $35 to $41, plus work to be performed.

Cost of service: $95.59

Mechanical permit:

Fee: The fee will increase from $35 to $41, plus work to be performed.

Cost of service: $95.59

Billboard sign:

Fee: The fee will increase from $150 to $163.

Cost of service: $252.34

Wall sign:

Fee: The fee will increase from $30 to $50.

Cost of service: $120.26

Freestanding sign:

Fee: The fee for a sign up to 50 square feet will increase from $40-$58, and the fee for a sign 51 square feet or more will increase from $60 to $70.

Cost of service: $134.23

Portable sign:

Fee: The fee will increase from $25 to $40.

Cost of service: $86.82

Temporary tent:

Fee: The fee will increase from $25 to $39.

Cost of service: $106.47

New residential:

Fee: The base fee will stay at $50. Fees for a heated area will increase from $.12 to $.13 per square foot, and fees for an unheated area will increase from $.09 to $.10 per square foot

Cost of service: Varies based on size

Commercial project:

Fee: As it stands, the fee increases per valuation. For example, 0-2,000 valuation is $75, while 2,001 to 30,000 valuation is $75 plus $6.50 per thousand of valuation. The new fee would be a $100 base fee and $5 per thousand of valuation.

Cost of service: Varies based on valuation

Samuel Sutton is a journalist covering West Texas. Send him a news tip at ssutton@gannett.com or call 325-812-7179. Consider supporting West Texas journalism with a subscription to GoSanAngelo.com.